Last Blade: A Novelization
by ZerodotJander
Summary: My version of the entire story of the first game, with some bleedover from the second game. There isn't much background available on the games, but I have tried to stay consistent with what IS known for a fact.
1. Prologue

**The Last Blade**

Disclaimer: This story is an amateur work of fanfiction. The author does not own "The Last Blade" or any characters depicted within. All rights to the Last Blade and all characters are owned by SNK-Playmore. The content of this story is the creation of the author, although based on material owned by SNK-Playmore. Any similarities to other author's works are coincidental.

**Prologue.**

Creation and Unmaking. Darkness and Light. Life and Death. All of these things were one, in the before. However, once things began, and the before became the past, and the past steadily became the present, extending into the future, divisions were made.

Creation and unmaking – antitheses of each other, creation won out with the very transition from the before to the past. As time began, things also began, and the unmaking simply ceased – although it is not gone, and will awaken again, when once again all things become one. Light and shadow – these things separated easily. One was merely the absence of the other. With the creation of the world, the sun and moon and stars became the purveyors of light, and Day and Night formed. Simple.

But finally, there was Life and Death. Not so simple, for without Life, there can be no Death, and without Death, Life ceases to be significant. Death is the removal of Life from the once living, not merely the absence of Life. Life is far more than not being dead, as any exorcist knows. Ultimately intertwined yet repelling, these were not so easily separated. But, at first, this was not known.

With the creation of the world, there came the creation of Life. Plants, Animals, Humans – all came into being. And with Life, there inevitably came death. Most things moved on to the next world when they died – that inscrutable area of beyond, neither in the before, the past, the present, nor the future. However, some things were not willing to let go of this world so easily. By force of will or simply power of desire, they stayed behind, disturbing the natural balance of things. Neither alive nor truly dead, the undead wreaked havoc on the world for a time, and it looked as if Creation's victory over Unmaking would be short lived indeed.

However, the world was not without its defenders. Summoned by humanity's deep, fundamental need to believe in gods, and by the very outcry of the world itself, four guardian gods came into being. Byakko, the tiger. Genbu, the turtle. Seiryuu, the dragon. Suzaku, the phoenix. Together, drawing on each other's power, the four gods created the netherworld – a place where the past, present, and future met, not quite in this world, but not yet in the next. The gods banished the unwilling dead to this new netherworld, and sealed the underworld away from the living world behind Hell's Gate, a mystical portal located at the peak of Mt. Fuji, one of the most powerful nexuses of mystical power in the world. The dead could pass into the underworld through it, or forced through, but could not pass back out without aid from the world of the living.

For a while, this worked. However, foolish and unscrupulous humans seeking knowledge and power learned about Hell's Gate, and sought to use the dead for their own selfish desires. Making promises they did not understand, they summoned forth hungry, angry spirits from the netherworld by the dozens, and for a time they did gain immense power and wealth. However, inevitably, the undead claimed their due, destroying those who had called them forth, and then continuing to disturb the balance of things. Again, the world was imperiled, and for a time it seemed as if the return of Unmaking would come soon. The gods conferred. Much of their power was being used merely to maintain the underworld and Hell's Gate. Additionally, it seemed likely that direct intervention would only lead to a temporary solution that would only lead to more problems in the future. Finally, they arrived at a solution.

Each god looked over the world, and selected a worthy human – one pure at heart and noble, yet skilled martially. Once a champion was chosen, each god granted a small portion of their power to their champion, giving them abilities beyond those of normal men, and giving them a dual purpose in life – to find and train their successor, and to defend the world from Hell's Gate.

The first few generations of guardians lived difficult lives, banishing undead back to the underworld and destroying necromancers and other fools who assaulted Hell's Gate. The champions of the gods were honored throughout the world, and they were men of power and influence. To be chosen as the next champion was an honor beyond compare, and hundreds of young men and women sought out the current champions, trying to prove themselves in the hopes of being chosen. In time, however, the balance was restored, and the influence of the undead faded from the land. Books of magic and knowledge of Hell's Gate were systematically destroyed, and the surging masses of humanity once again moved through the present, toward the future, no longer fearing the ghosts of the past.

With the lessened threat, so came lessened need for the champions. Over the centuries, as more and more of the world was cleansed, ultimately all four guardians came to reside in Japan, to be close to Hell's Gate itself. Their influence waned, and they became legends, rather than heroes, and then even the legends were forgotten.

Author's Notes:

The Last Blade 2 is pretty much my favorite fighting game of all time. The Last Blade is obviously its prequel. There's actually very little detail available about the plot or history of the game aside from character bios and game endings, so it's a suitably creative project. Plus, cause it's a fighting game, obviously there will be plenty of fight scenes, which is probably I'm the best at writing anyway.

Any comments & criticism are welcome, but keep in mind this is unedited, not beta read, and written at a decently fast pace by someone who hasn't done that much creative writing. If I'm happy with the overall product I might go over it when it's all over and polish it up a bit, but knowing me, I'll probably be too lazy. Anyway, here it is.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – The Beginning**

October, 1853 – The Side of Mt. Fuji

"Oi, Shigen-san! You up there?" shouted the man climbing the mountain. Looking remarkably out of place in his white western style overcoat and blonde hair, Kagami Shinnosuke carefully navigated his way up the mountainside, avoiding scattered rocks. Making his way along the mountain path with practiced ease, the supple grace to his movements reveals him as a warrior. A truly keen observer might note the calluses on his hands, revealing him to be a practiced user of the ivory hilted blade sheathed at his side.

"Shinnosuke! What the hell are you wearing? And what happened to your hair?" bellowed the target of Kagami's yell. At 26, Shigen Naoe felt he was sufficiently Kagami's senior to call him by his first name. A massive man with long white hair, more ogre than human, Shigen was duly amused by the sudden change in Kagami since the last time they had seen each other, in the Spring. While unarmed, Shigen's massive arms and stature made it obvious that he could probably rip any man foolish enough to challenge him to pieces without any need for steel to aid him. Stepping out of the cave he called home into the small meadow growing midway up the slopes of Mt. Fuji, he met Kagami at the end of the path and clapped the younger man on the back.

Grinning, Kagami pulled out a jug of sake. "What, you don't like it? I picked the clothes up from a Portuguese trader in Yokohama, and once I was dressed like this, I simply had to bleach my hair to match. I think they suit me very well, although I do admit more than a few people have found it odd as well. In any case, happy birthday, Shigen-san!"

Shigen beamed. It was indeed his birthday, and he was happy that Kagami had remembered. The young man had been an orphan adopted by Shigen's father's friend Kagami Orinosuke. Without any knowledge of his parents, the young Kagami had no idea when his real birthday was, although he knew he was 20. Ever since the boys had met and become friends when Shigen was 16 and the young Kagami was 10, the two had celebrated their birthdays together on Shigen's birthday. With the death of Shigen's father five years ago, Shigen had moved to the mountain, but Kagami still visited him several times a year. "Yes, and happy birthday to you too, Shinnosuke! How is Kagami-sensei?"

Kagami's face darkened. "My father is dead." Shigen's high spirits immediately crashed. "Shinnosuke… I'm sorry. How did it happen? Wait, no… this discussion should not be held so easily… come in, and let's open that bottle of sake." Leading Kagami into the cave, the two friends sat down at Shigen's table. Kagami produced two sake cups, and poured. Clinking their cups together, they toasted Kagami's father. "To Kagami Orinosuke! May he be happy in the world beyond!" After a few minutes, Kagami began his story.

"It happened a couple of months ago. Did you hear about the black ships?" Shaking his head, Shigen indicated that the news had not yet reached him. "In July, a gaijin named Perry arrived in Edo Bay with a small fleet of four black ships. He's from a country called America. These ships…" Kagami shook his head. "They're amazing. We don't have anything that comes close. They run on steam, and burn coal! On a ship! Their maneuverability and speed are unsurpassable, our navy is completely outmatched. If Perry wanted to, he could probably bomb all of Edo from the harbor and sail away without a scratch." Shigen could only sit back, shocked at the news.

"The Americans came as bullies, nothing less. They made a list of demands, and sent it to the shogunate. Well, that didn't sit well with us, of course, but what could we do?" Shigen nodded. "Their men came ashore, of course. Arrogant in their display of power, they were boors, starting trouble all over town. For the most part, the men of Tokyo were cowards, bowing and scraping to the damned gaijin, not daring to do anything." Sneering, Kagami spat in disgust. "You knew my father. He wasn't the type to take an insult lying down, and when a gaijin spilled sake on him, refused to apologize, and then called him outdated and stupid for having a sword instead of a gun… well, that was too much for him. He drew his sword, and it was over. One less gaijin, and good riddance, or so we thought." Kagami shook his head. "The next day, Shogunate soldiers came for him. He killed them all. Then they sent in a rifle squad. He killed all of them, too. Then they sent a messenger, saying that the Americans threatened to destroy the entire market district if he did not surrender. So he committed hara-kiri." Finishing his story in a bleak, emotionless tone. Kagami set down his cup.

"That night, I went to bed, and when I woke up, I had inherited his power." For the first time showing that he was something more than a young swordsman dressed in western garb, Kagami clenched his fist, which burst into flame. "The guardian of Suzaku…. I never wanted it this soon, you know?" Shigen nodded. "I didn't want Byakko's blessing when I received it, either. But fate cannot be denied. Now that you have inherited Suzaku's power, you should visit the gate." Kagami nodded. "Yes. I will, tomorrow morning. But for now, let's finish this bottle, and talk about old times, eh?" Shigen nodded, and the two friends talked late into the night.

The next morning, Kagami set out for the peak. The trip was not particularly arduous, the pilgrimage to the top of Mt. Fuji being a popular one for monks, spiritualists, and just general tourists. After several hours of travel, he arrived at a small clearing near the top of the mountain. Stepping into the middle of the clearing, he took a deep breath and kneeled, praying to Suzaku. "Mighty Suzaku, guardian of the south. I, Kagami Shinnosuke, accept the powers and duties you have granted to me." The sky rapidly darkening, a shimmering black portal crackling with magical energy began manifesting in the middle of the clearing, in front of Kagami. Presenting his treasured sword, the Young Phoenix, Kagami carefully and precisely performed each of the techniques of his father's style. Although it had no name, it was the fighting style that had been passed down by the champions of Suzaku since their creation, and its power was unquestioned. Kagami had mastered the style as much as possible for one not empowered by Suzaku by the age of 15, and now that he had inherited his father's power, his attacks took on new life and energy.

As he performed his kata, Kagami let his body take over, performing each motion mechanically, as he had thousands of times before. Remembering the man who had taught his style to an orphan he had found, and who had gone so far as to adopt that orphan and give him a family name, Kagami burst into tears as he finished. His depressive negative energy heightened by the ki he had gathered in performing his kata, he unknowingly beckoned toward Hell's Gate, toward the underworld – a world filled with the negative energies Kagami was radiating.

Drawn by Kagami, spirits of the unhappy dead began gathering on the other side of Hell's gate. Looking up, Kagami scowled angrily, and gathered his power, intending on banishing them and sealing Hell's Gate away again. As he did so, however, he was shocked to find his father on the other side of the gate. "Father! What are you doing in the underworld!" he exclaimed in shock. He received no answer from the angry spirit, which simply shrieked in anger and pain, and pressed against the boundary between its world and the living world.

Disturbed, Kagami hastily banished the gate and descended the mountain again. Arriving back at Shigen's cave, he refused to talk about his day and sullenly sat in the corner, sipping at a cup of sake. Finally, unable to bear it, he turned to Shigen. "I saw my father behind Hell's Gate today." Not entirely surprised, Shigen nodded. "I was afraid of that. Kagami-sensei obviously died angry and before he was willing to. Spirits such as those are the most likely to fail to proceed to the next world. I'm sorry, Shinnosuke, but there's nothing you can do for him now." Bitter, Kagami angrily shook his head. "That's not fair! Father is trapped in the underworld for all eternity now, and why? Because of the stupid commoners who had no conception of his importance. Without Suzaku's guardian, Hell's Gate would be out of balance and would open again, dooming the world to torment and eternal suffering. Yet, for merely defending his honor, they force him to death? That's bullshit!" Trembling with rage, Kagami dashed his cup to the ground, picked up his sword, and stalked out into the night.

Shaking his head, Shigen stood and followed Kagami. Following him up to the peak, he found Kagami standing in front of Hell's Gate, staring at his father's spirit, quivering with rage. Shaking his head, Shigen walked up to the younger man. "Shinnosuke… it's not healthy to leave the gate like this. It's over. There's nothing you can do now… mourn your father, and just do your duty and guard the Gate." Turning away, Shigen looked up at the full moon. "I remember when my father died, and I inherited the power of Byakko." Raising his massive right arm, Shigen concentrated briefly, and his arm changed into stone, his fingers sharpening into talons. Releasing the power of Byakko's Claw again, Shigen turned back to Kagami. "I too was angry for a long time. It felt unfair that the guardian of Byakko could fall to something so minor as a heart attack. I guess the size of the bodies of the men of the Naoe clan puts a great deal of strain on our hearts… we have a history of dying relatively young. Even so…. It's over. Death is final, there's no coming back from the underworld." Clapping Kagami on the shoulder, Shigen returned to his cave, hoping his friend would be alright.

Standing in front of Hell's Gate, Kagami grew angrier and angrier. Shigen's speech had had the opposite effect intended. At least Shigen's father had died of natural causes… in Kagami's eyes, his father's being forced to suicide was no better than murder. After all, why should he have had to kill himself? It was all to protect the stupid commoners. If he hadn't been concerned about the destruction of Tokyo, he would never have been taken. As Kagami's rage mounted, the spirits behind Hell's Gate trembled in excitement. Here, in front of them, was one of the guardians of the Gate, radiating immense negative energy. Carefully, delicately, they tried to seize a strand of the power Kagami was emitting. While Hell's Gate did not allow travel from the underworld into the living world, the reverse was not at all true. Capturing some of Kagami's radiating ki, the spirits gently pulled on it, infecting it with the dark energies of the underworld. Being the Guardian of Suzaku, Kagami's association with the Gate was different from that of normal men, and using this, the spirits of the underworld began subtly twisting his ki, and by extension his soul.

Suddenly filled with a murderous hatred of mankind, Kagami did not even notice what was happening. Turning, he looked at the lights of Tokyo, and spat in hatred. Speaking out loud to the night, he slowly formed his thoughts. "Yes. They need to learn. They are weak and corrupt, ignorant and stupid. Things must change, and they must learn their place in this world." Nodding, Kagami dismissed the Gate and began walking back to Shigen's cave, oblivious to the taint in his ki.

The next morning, Shigen woke up to find Kagami sitting at the mouth of the cave, brooding. Yawning, the massive guardian of Byakko stood up and stretched, walking up to his friend. "You don't look like you slept at all last night, Shinnosuke. Are you alright?" he asked. Kagami slowly stood, nodding. Turning to look at Shigen, a wild and insane light of fanaticism became evident in his eyes. "Yes, yes. I'm better than alright… I've realized what I, no, what, WE need to do to set things right." Kagami began rapidly pacing back and forth, full of nervous energy. "Shigen-san, look at the people out there. They're fools. They've lost touch with the spiritual side of the world… how many swordsmen even have any appreciable amount of ki these days? They train in their techniques, yes, but for the most part, they just swing blades around – they've forgotten the essence of what it is to be a warrior. And what about the Westerners? They're even worse. They've given up all the true gods for their one Christian god, and in doing so lost sight of the reality of the supernatural world. We guard them from the threat of the underworld, but they aren't even aware of our existence. They aren't even aware of the existence of the underworld, in fact."

Shigen nodded, slowly. What Kagami said was true, but he didn't like where this was going. "Yes, but even so, it is our duty to defend the gates. That is what the gods gave us this power for, and even if the threat is not what it once was, the role we play is essential. The people out there may not be aware of or appreciate our efforts, but that makes them no less important."

Kagami shook his head angrily. "They don't deserve it! They deserve to suffer and die. They need to learn what lurks beyond again, to taste true fear. Mankind is corrupt. The only reason we exist in the first place is because of humanity's meddling with the Gate, anyway. Look at them, smug with their guns and ships." Turning around, Kagami fixed his intense gaze on Shigen. "Shigen-san, it's time. The guardians were assigned their duties hundreds of years ago. The need to guard Hell's Gate has passed. We should use our abilities to cleanse humanity, to make them worthy of this world. Join with me! You agreed with me a moment ago, humanity is corrupt! As guardians, it is our job to excise that corruption, to destroy the weak and foolish, to make the world strong again!"

Horrified by Kagami's words, Shigen shook his head. "Shinnosuke, what's gotten into you! That's the exact opposite of what we are supposed to do. Calm down!" His ferver dying down slightly, Kagami composed himself and looked Shigen in the eye. Shaking his head, Kagami realized that Shigen was too stuck on the idea of adhering to the role of guardian to go along with his plans. Turning around, Kagami looked at Tokyo off in the distance, then breathed deeply and nodded. If Shigen would not be part of the solution, then he would be part of the problem. Gathering his energy and letting his hands fall to his sides, his right hand near the hilt of his sword, he turned around again. Looking Shigen in the eye, he simply said "I'm sorry, then, Shigen-san." before drawing his blade and quickly slashing at Shigen's neck.

Shocked, Shigen barely managed to step back, causing the sword to only lightly nick his shoulder rather than cutting his throat. "Shinnosuke! What are you-" he exclaimed, before Kagami continued his attack, this time slashing downward at Shigen's head. This time more prepared for the attack, Shigen called upon Byakko's powers and brought up his transformed arm, stopping the slash. "Stop this!" he shouted, pushing back at Kagami and forcing the guardian of Suzaku to disengage. As far as Kagami was concerned, however, the time for speech was over. Drawing upon his own powers, Kagami stepped in, performing a short uppercut with his flame sheathed left hand, crying the name of the attack. "Gouen Sou!" His reactions still delayed by his disbelief at Kagami's actions, Shigen managed to block the uppercut, but was caught offguard by Kagami's followup as he continued with the second part of the attack. "Shiranui!" shouted the younger man as his sword burst into flame as he lunged forward, smashing down with the blade at close range, striking Shigen full on his stony arm. With a small explosion of fire, Shigen was knocked back and to the ground. Stepping forward, Kagami stabbed down at his former friend, hoping to finish it then and there. Prepared for the coming attack, however, Shigen managed to roll out of the way just in time, only receiving a deep gash along his side rather than a potentially fatal gut wound.

Recognizing that Kagami had launched one killing strike after another, Shigen resigned himself to combat. Rolling back and to his feet, the massive man bellowed before charging forward into a shoulder slam. Kagami took the opportunity to counter the headlong rush with a powerful vertical chop, but Shigen took the blow on his stone arm. The sword left a deep gouge that would be a painful wound later, but for now Shigen accepted the pain and continued on, slamming into Kagami. "Byakko Shuu Tsuika!" shouted the massive man as he followed up his shoulder ram with a powerful kick that held much of the momentum of the charge. The powerful blow took the young swordsman right in the gut, slamming him back into the mountainside, bouncing him onto the ground.

Rolling to his feet, Kagami spat to the side. He had tensed his gut muscles at the last second and moved with the force of the blow, nullifying some of the damage. A lesser man would have been instantly killed by the force of that kick, his lower ribcage, diaphragm, liver, kidneys, and any number of other internal organs pulverized by its rock crushing force. He shook his head, and analyzed the situation more carefully. His opponent was also a champion of one of the four guardian gods, and would certainly be no pushover. Now that he had lost the element of surprise, it was time to fight wiser and more intelligently. For several moments the two men sparred, each dashing in, delivering quick blows toward the head and torso, occasionally crouching for a blow to the gut or legs. Both skilled warriors familiar with each other's style, however, none of these blows found their mark, and it seemed the fight was at a stalemate for the moment.

Shigen watched Kagami carefully. They had been probing each other's defenses for almost thirty seconds now, an eternity in a fight between two men as skilled in the arts of combat as the two of them. Finally, he decided to take the initiative. Moving in, he called upon the powers of Byakko again, converting much of his upper body to stone for a brief time. Seeing Shigen moving in, Kagami again drew on the powers Suzaku had granted to him, repeating the Gouen Sou. Shigen made no attempt to evade the blow, and Kagami was elated as his fire encased uppercut hit his opponent squarely in the chin. His elation was shortlived as he prepared to perform the Shiranui but Shigen interrupted him. Accepting the Gouen Sou, Shigen felt no pain even as he felt the impact of the blow. In his temporarily transformed state, no attack could phase him, even as they ravaged his body. As Kagami reared back for the followup slash to the uppercut, Shigen reached out and grabbed him by the throat. "Hisui Sai!" shouted the massive unarmed fighter, as he squeezed, crushing Kagami's throat as he slammed the smaller man into the ground, then lifted him and threw him into the ground again, and stomping on Kagami as he lay on the ground.

Not expecting his uppercut to not phase Shigen, Kagami was caught completely by surprise by the grapple. Slammed into the ground, he was dazed for a moment but managed to bring his arms up in time to buffer Shigen's stomp, keeping him from breaking any of his ribs. Rolling to his feet, Kagami hopped back, keeping his sword at the ready. Rather than backing off, he simply moved to a better range for a weapon as long as his sword, and then began a dazzling series of attacks, slashing horizontally at Shigen's head, then twice vertically, then chopping down with both hands on the hilt for a more powerful vertical strike, and finally striking down again, this time with an added stepin. His first horizontal slash caught Shigen right in the scalp as the big man was not ready for such a quick recovery from his attack. The blood began flowing immediately, momentarily blinding Shigen, giving Kagami the opportunity to land his subsequent attacks, slashing Shigen repeatedly across the chest, and then chopping down hard on the big man's shoulder. Expecting the final blow, Shigen managed to sidestep barely out of the way, accepting a heavy gash on his upper arm rather than having it chopped off or having a muscle severed.

"Byakko So!" shouted Shigen as he pumped ki into his transformed stony talons, chopping down powerfully and leaving actual claw-like trails in the air. Kagami had entered into closer range for his last strike, and was caught hard by the attack, and was knocked back and momentarily dazed. Shigen used the opportunity to repeat his shoulder ram attack. "Byakko Shuu Tsuika!" he shouted, rushing in. This time, Kagami was more prepared, and rather than simply slashing forward in an attempt to stop the attack, he ducked down and slashed up with his sword, focusing on repelling the attack with his ki. Kagami's blade met Shigen's stony shoulder at just the right moment, and the small amount of repelling ki Kagami had infused into his gentle blow was perfect, knocking Shigen slightly off balance. Continuing, Kagami immediately drew upon the power of Suzaku and performed his favorite attack. "Sho Hoko!" he shouted, as he leaped upward in a spinning uppercut with his sword, leaving a blazing spiral of flame behind as he spun in the air. The flaming blow slammed into Shigen's chest at nearly full force. The big man managed to lean back enough so that the blade did not shear right through his torso, but the force of the impact, sent him flying back into the air. Combined with all the damage he had already accepted to perform his own attacks, Kagami's perfectly executed Sho Hoko knocked the massive guardian of Byakko unconscious as it sent him flying backwards into the cave that was his home.

Landing from his jump, Kagami panted with exhaustion. The long battle had taken over a minute, and his resources were nearly drained. Collapsing to the ground, he placed his hand to the ground and drew upon the fiery power of the core of the world for a moment, reenergizing himself slightly. Standing up, he looked into the mouth of the cave. Shigen lay there, against the back wall, unmoving and covered in blood now that Byakko's stony transformation had left him. Unaware that Shigen had managed to avoid the killing stroke of the Sho Hoko, Kagami sorrowed for a moment for his dead friend. He had been forced to kill him the day after their shared birthday celebrations. In less than two seasons, he had lost his father and his only friend. Looking up at the cave, Kagami nodded. He had to conceal the evidence – if one of the other guardians happened to come by, it could not look as if Shigen had been murdered. Drawing upon the power of Suzaku again, he jumped into the air, smashing the roof of the cave mouth with all his power, destroying the entrance of the cave and covering it with rubble. Calling forth the power of the flaming phoenix god, he produced burst after burst of supernatural fire, smashing the mountainside until it seemed that a small avalanche had covered the entrance to the cave.

His work finished, Kagami sheathed his sword. Kneeling down and uttering a quick prayer for Shigen, he nodded. Shigen had not trained a successor and had no children, although there was a young orphaned niece he had adopted. She spent most of her time with the rest of the Naoe clan, however, the family having decided she was too young to live on the mountain. There would be no more guardians of Byakko unless the god himself chose to invest another human with his power, and Kagami was confident that in today's corrupt and weakened society, the god would be hard pressed to find one suitable for the job. That threat nullified, the young man nodded to himself. It was not yet time to open the gate, or to challenge the other guardians. First, he needed to study the gate more, to understand more fully how it worked. Next, he had to figure out how to open it in a controlled manner, so he could control the undead spirits entering the living world. He would have to be near the gate so he could study it for some years to come… perhaps it would be best if he raised some money and had a house built at Mt. Fuji's peak. The foolish humans knew the mountain was sacred, but with enough money anything was possible – corrupt officials abounded. Satisfied with his next goal, Kagami descended the mountain.

Much later... Shigen woke up in total darkness. Heavily injured, he barely struggled to his feet. Unable to see, he made his way to where he thought the cavern entrance should be, only to find it blocked by tons of stone. Alone, he roared into the darkness, hearing his own echoes bouncing back on him. He was trapped.

And so the chain of events began that would bring the world to near destruction, but be completely hidden from normal men began.

Author's Notes:

I did some research and I am trying to keep the fic accurate within both the story's timeline and within the timeline of the real world outside. Commodore Matthew Perry did in fact sail into Edo Bay in July of 1853, setting off a chain of events that would eventually lead to the Bakumatsu and the fall of the shogunate, and the beginning of the Meiji era.

Note that Kagami's father specifically commits hara-kiri rather than seppuku – there is a difference. His suicide was not to erase shame, but rather to avoid giving up on his ideals and to preserve his honor.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Moriya  
**  
September 23rd, 1854 – A Village Near Kyoto

"Happy birthday, Moriya!" shouted the two small children, a boy and a girl, in unison with the dignified looking older man standing next to them. The target of their congratulations blushed, embarrassed by the attention. Minakata Moriya looked at his master and surrogate father, Gaisei, and the two bratty little children that both he and Gaisei considered family, Kaede and Yuki, and smiled. Indeed, it was his 13th birthday today. Looking at his surrogate family, he thought back to how he had come to this….

Moriya's parents had died of cholera when he was five and he had lived with his Uncle and Aunt for two years. He had begun his instruction in the art of the sword when he was seven, as was customary for most samurai children. While his uncle's family was not wealthy, they still wished the best for their children and nephew. When a ronin named Yamaga Benosuke passed by, the family eagerly jumped at the chance to hire a master of Ono-ha Itto-ryu to train the young men of the clan. Quiet and reserved, Moriya rarely spoke and did not interact much with others. His family had feared that the death of his parents had unhinged the young man, leaving him devoid of his wits. With a bokken in hand, Moriya quickly dispelled any such rumors, showing a fierce talent for the blade.

Moriya learned the basics of Kenjutsu with amazing speed. Within a year, the young boy of eight could defeat any other swordsman in training in the area, and could give most of the adult samurai a run for their money. By the age of nine, the only man within twenty miles who could best him with a sword was his own master, and even those sparring sessions were intense and drawn out. Over the course of these two years, it also became clear why Yamaga Benosuke had been a ronin, rather than a respected master of Ono-ha Itto-ryu with a dojo of his own. In short, the man was a violent drunkard. When sober, he was a man of grace and composure, a master of etiquette and a strict adherent to bushido, and a swordsman of amazing skill. When drunk, which was much of the time, the man was sloppy and rude, quick to anger, and eager to fight – and still possessed of amazing skill. There were rumors that he had been banished from home for killing another man while drunk, and then refusing to commit seppuku. Even so, his services were valued by the Minakata clan, and for the most part they kept him under control, and he had not yet wounded anyone seriously. Finally, one day, the inevitable occurred.

March 1851 – Minakata Village, near Kyoto

Even through the sound of pouring rain and the occasional thunder, the traveling swordsman heard the sounds of a loud drunkard from within the teahouse. Stopping under the awning over the entrance, Gaisei brushed the water off his cloak and folded up his bamboo umbrella. Adjusting the massive, nearly yard-long straight edged sword worn in a baldric over his back, the wild looking man stepped into the common room. "Welcome, welcome!" called out the proprietress as she stepped out of the kitchen, greeting Gaisei as if he were a frequent customer. Ushering him to a small table, she pulled up a cushion for him and poured him a cup of tea. "And what would you like this evening, honored customer?" she asked, assuming that any man with a sword like that would probably have money to spare. Smiling Gaisei sipped the tea, and looked at the menu hung on bamboo tiles from the wall. "Please, some hot sake, and some dango." Nodding, the proprietress clapped her hands and left. As Gaisei sat sipping his tea, he couldn't help but look at the other only customer currently in the teahouse – a well dressed man with a katana propped up against the wall by his side, who was currently chugging sake from a pitcher as if it were water, and holding a pretty waitress by the waist.

Finishing his drink, Benosuke looked at the newcomer through his slightly alcohol blurred eyes. "Hey, you. Swordsman. What are you lookin' at?" he slurred. Gaisei shook his head. "Nothing." Suddenly angered, Benosuke surged upright. "Nothing? Are you calling me, Yamaga Benosuke, master of Ono-ha Itto-ryu kenjutsu, nothing!" Gaisei, taken aback, shook his head. "I am sorry, I meant no offense." Nodding, satisfied, Benosuke slumped down again. Yawning, he stretched, and then took another look at Gaisei, and smirked. "Hey, what's with the big sword?" Gaisei frowned. "It is my weapon. What do you mean, 'what's with it?'"? Benosuke shook his head. "No, seriously… who carries a no-dachi like that anymore? They've been outdated for centuries, or weren't you told?" Chuckling, he refilled his sake cup and downed it, before continuing. "Do you fancy yourself another Sasaki Kojiroh, or something? Tell me you don't call yourself Ganryu."

Gaisei forced a smile on his face. "No, no. My name is Gaisei." Ignoring him, Benosuke continued. "If you're Ganryu, well, I guess it's fated that we duel – after all, I am Benosuke, which was Musashi Miyamoto's name, after all. Perhaps we are fated rivals!" Suddenly standing upright, Benosuke picked up his katana and drew it. Drawing back his foot, he kicked a basket of onigiri on the table, sending the rice balls flying up. Dropping his scabbard, he grasped his katana in both hands and whipped it through the air with consummate skill, bisecting all three rice balls. Finishing his performance, he slowly sat seiza, cleaned the sword with a napkin on the table, and then resheathed it. He looked quite dignified for a moment, before again slumping back and letting a drunken grin fill his face.

Observing Benosuke's skill, Gaisei calmly nodded to himself. The man obviously was very skilled, even in his drunken state, and it would be best to not cause trouble. Turning his gaze away, he waited for his sake and glazed balls of mochi to arrive. Feeling belligerent and confident after his display, however, Benosuke would not let it die. "Hey, Ganryu. Didn't you see my display of prowess? Aren't you afraid?" Laughing uproariously, Benosuke slammed back another cup of sake, then stood up and walked over to Gaisei's table as the waitresses backed away, worried that a fight was about to break out. "Oi! Are you ignoring me, Ganryu?" Looking calmly into Benosuke's face, Gaisei shook his head. "No. I just didn't feel there was a response necessary." Unsure as to what to say, Benosuke shook his head and waved the girls over. "Ha. You're an interesting one, Ganryu, with your darning pole. What school do you practice?"

"Kassatsu Itto ryu. It's an old but obscure school, I am the only practitioner after my master's death many years ago." replied Gaisei, drawing the kanji out on the table in a small puddle of spilled sake. "The Life or Death Single Sword style? I've never heard of that branch of the Itto school." mused Benosuke, in a curious voice. "We are not related to the Itto school founded by Ito sensei. The Itto in our name refers only to the fact that we focus on using a single sword. We only use one blade, never both. As you can see, I am not wearing the daisho – I do not have a wakizashi or kodachi or any other blade. My style can be practiced with a katana as well, but even then, we never use the wakizashi."

Benosuke nodded. "That's interesting. All the Itto-ryu schools use a single sword, of course, but I've never heard of a complete disregard for the use of shorter shoto swords. Does your style encompass any other weapons?" Warming up to the subject, Gaisei nodded. "Yes, we also have a naginata form and several unarmed forms. That is all, however, unlike your Ono-ha ryu." Benosuke nodded again. "Of course you know that Ono-ha ryu is built around kiriotoshi – to allow the opponent to attack, and then to strike forward, overriding his sword and striking his arms, then finishing him. What are the techniques of your style like?"

Gaisei frowned, unsure of how much he should share. "Perhaps the ultimate origin of our style lies simply in one concept – strike like lightning. My style is built heavily on maneuverability in combat, combined with strong strikes. We almost never thrust, unlike Tennen Rishin Ryu. Unlike most Itto-ryu, our style is very aggressive, rather than reactionary. Of course, because we use the no-dachi, there are many strong overhead chops, but we also use wide, sweeping slashes. Battoujutsu is also a strong component of our ryu – in general, Kassatsu Itto Ryu attempts to strike with great strength and blinding speed, destroying the opponent as quickly as possible. Compared to Ono-ha ryu, it is a vulgar and uncultured style, and is not truly suitable for a samurai – but for a kendoka like myself, it fits perfectly."

Laughing at Gaisei's description of his style, Benosuke clapped the man on the shoulder. "I like you, Ganryu, I really do. Let's drink together, eh!" Waving the waitress over, he ordered several more bottles of sake, and the two men talked about swordsmanship and inconsequential details late into the night. Finally, hours later, they staggered out of the teahouse into the rain. "Eh, Ganryu, where are you spending the night? Why don't you come back to my place?" Burping, Gaisei shook his head. "No, I couldn't impose. I'll find an inn." Shaking his head, Benosuke grabbed Gaisei by the sleeve. "No, I insist." Looking around, feeling the water soak into him, Gaisei reluctantly nodded. "Very well, then."

The next morning, Gaisei woke up lying on a strange mat in a strange room. Groaning, he stood up slowly, wincing at his hangover. Looking around to make sure nobody was observe, he quietly tapped into the power of Seiryuu, allowing a quick surge of lightning to flow through his body, burning away the alcohol. Refreshed, he sat down, and chuckled. His style was based on striking like lightning, indeed. While everything he had told Benosuke was true, he had left out the true core of the Kassatsu Itto Ryu – striking with the power of Seiryuu. That was why there was only one master of the style at a time – only one man could truly harness the power of the style's techniques, the guardian of Seiryuu. Although the style was still deadly and a match for any other without the holy lightning; the addition of the abilities of a guardian of Seiryuu made the style nearly undefeatable by mortal swordsmanship.

Standing up, Gaisei stretched, then left the room, looking for Benosuke. Walking through the halls, he was struck by the quality of the home he was walking through. While not extravagantly furnished, the place felt harmoniously built and well laid out. This was obviously the home of a fairly wealthy samurai family, although one from the countryside and probably relatively insignificant overall, without much influence in Edo. As he continued, looking around for signs of people, he heard the rapid clacking of wood on wood. His interest piqued, he moved toward the source of the sound, until he arrived at a dojo to find a young boy with red hair engaged in a sparring session with a young man. The boy looked to be about ten, and the man about twenty. Both were wearing the heavy padded armguards used in Itto ryu training. The man stood in the classic kiriotoshi stance, waiting for the boy to attack – who did, striking like lightning. The man barely reacted in time, striking from the side and knocking the boy's sword out of the way, chopping down onto the armguards. However, rather than merely accepting the blow, the boy quickly stepped back and then in again, striking the man's counter attack out of the way and slamming his practice sword into the man's wrists instead.

Gaisei let out a low whistle and slowly clapped. The boy was remarkable – he couldn't have been more than ten years old, but he was skilled enough to defeat the fundamental attack of one of the oldest and highly regarded schools of swordsmanship by using itself against it. Turning, the boy and the man regarded Gaisei with curiosity. "Who are you?" demanded the man in a rough tone of voice. Gaisei raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "My name is Gaisei, a wandering swordsman. I met Yamaga-sensei at a teahouse last night, and he was kind enough to offer me a place to sleep. I was just looking for him, but the sounds of your sparring attracted me, and I could not help but be impressed by the young master's prowess." The man's harsh face softened slightly, and he smiled ruefully. "Ah, Yamaga-sensei. Well, I suppose if you are his guest, it is alright. I apologize for my rudeness. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Minakata Saemon, and this is my cousin, Minakata Moriya. It is a pleasure to meet you, Gaisei-san." Gaisei shook his head, waving the honorific away. "Just Gaisei, please. I am not a samurai, and not worthy of being called –san."

Looking at Moriya, who had yet to speak, Gaisei nodded thoughtfully. "You are very skilled, young man. Is Yamaga-sensei your only teacher?" From behind him, the aforementioned man replied, "Yes, I am, and I am proud to have him as a student." Turning, Gaisei smiled. Benosuke grinned back, then looked over Gaisei's shoulder at his two students. "Saemon, how is Moriya's counter technique developing?" Saemon shrugged sheepishly. "I'm not fast enough to keep up with him. He's been destroying my kirotoshi every time." Yamaga smiled. Turning back to Gaisei, he shook his head. "Moriya is a genius with the sword. Even I can barely defeat him, and only because I've had more experience, and he's still only 9 years old. By the time he turns 13, I doubt there will be any orthodox swordsman in Japan who will be able to touch him – he will have to seek out men such as yourself for a challenge."

At this, Moriya's interest was finally piqued, and he showed some interest in the stranger rather than merely waiting for him to stop interrupting his practice. "You're a good swordsman?" he asked, very bluntly. Gaisei frowned at the boy's rudeness. "I am a swordsman, yes. Whether I'm good or not is for others to judge." Moriya smiled, slowly. "Fight with me." Benosuke frowned. "Moriya! You should be more polite. Courtesy is as important to a samurai as swordsmanship." Gaisei simply grinned. "Oh, it's quite alright, Yamaga-sensei. I'm interested in trying the boy out myself." Benosuke shook his head. "Very well, then. I don't think we have any wooden swords large enough to substitute for your no-dachi, though." Gaisei shrugged. "A normal bokken will be sufficient."

Gaisei squared off against the boy, holding his bokken loosely in his right hand. Tapping the wooden sword against his thigh, he examined Moriya's stance. Moriya was standing in a fairly standard kenjutsu stance, appropriate for kirotoshi – stable and well balanced, allowing the swordsman to run forward or backstep with almost equal ease. Moriya held his bokken in both hands, extended forward at a 45 degree angle from his body, ready to counter Gaisei's attacks. Gaisei nodded. "As I explained to Yamaga-sensei last night, Kassatsu Itto Ryu's philosophy is to strike like lightning – with great speed, and with power. The style is not suitable to everybody – you must both be light on your feet and capable of acting quickly, but also sturdy enough to put force behind your blows and to have a strong enough body to absorb the stresses of using the technique. This is the most basic blow of Kassatsu Itto Ryu." As he spoke, he reared back slightly, grasping his bokken in both hands, raising the wooden sword above his head, and slamming forward in an very fast downward chop with the full force of his body behind it. Moriya reacted instantly, attacking forward and from the left to deflect Gaisei's sword away and strike at his wrists. However, as he made impact with Gaisei's sword, he was stunned to find the moment of the blow great enough that he was unable to turn it aside, and Gaisei's sword smashed down into his shoulder with enough force to crack bone if it were not for their padding.

As soon as he finished the strike, Gaisei pulled back with great speed, returning to his neutral stance without giving Moriya any time to strike back. "You'll note the forward step and my grasp on the hilt are designed to add power to the blow. By contracting your shoulder muscles in a specific way, you can add even more strength to the blow and make it easy to pull back quickly without overextending yourself. The strain on your tendons is immense, but if your body is capable of it, you can end many battles with this one strike alone."

Nodding, Yamaga and Saemon could not help but be impressed by the simple power of Gaisei's attack. Simple and uncomplicated, it was beautifully executed and was obviously the strike of a master swordsman. Moriya nodded, absorbing the information. Gaisei continued. "The second basic strike of Kassatsu Itto Ryu is the horizontal slash." Stepping in, Gaisei brought up his sword with blinding speed, slashing from right to left, then back from left to right, alternately hitting Moriya's left and right arms. "These strikes lack power, but are made with great speed. They are meant to bleed the enemy, injuring their arms and slowing down their own attacks and reactions. The horizontal motion and high angle of attack makes them nearly impossible to knock to the side, and they are also very difficult to chop down with a vertical strike. Both blows must be parried separately."

Smiling, Gaisei bowed to Moriya, then walked over to the racks of wooden swords and replaced his bokken. Stripping off his sparring gear, he turned and looked at Moriya again. "You're very impressive, boy. Not many men are fast enough to try kirotoshi on the forward chop. With a few more years, some muscle, and training, you yourself could be a master of Kassatsu Itto Ryu. In fact, I've never met a better candidate to become my successor." Turning and bowing to Yamaga, Gaisei shook his head ruefully. "I have no intention of stealing your most prized pupil, however. I wish you luck with Moriya, and I have no doubt he will become a famed swordsman. Now, with that, I hope you will allow me to take my leave. I'm a man of the road, and it beckons." Despite Yamaga's protests, Gaisei collected his few belongings, and set out.

Later that afternoon, Gaisei sat on a rock near the side of the road, eating several buns stuffed with bean jam that he purchased at a roadside stand. As he enjoyed his meal, he was shocked to suddenly see the unmistakable form of Minakata Moriya walking down the road, oversized looking daisho thrust through his belt and a pack slung over his shoulder. Moriya saw Gaisei, and approached. Stopping about a yard short, the boy dropped his back and fell to his knees in a supplicatory posture. "Gaisei-san, please take me as your student!" Surprised, Gaisei broke out in an involuntary laugh. "Moriya-kun, what are you saying? You already have an excellent teacher. You're a samurai, studying with a wandering swordsman is out of the question." Moriya shook his head. "Gaisei-san, I have never met anybody as skilled as you. Yamaga-sensei is an excellent teacher, but I have already learned all he has to offer. All that remains to me is to gain muscle mass and experience. You, however… there is much more that I can learn from you, I can feel it. You yourself said that I was a good candidate to be your successor! Please, teach me!"

Gaisei scratched his chin. It was true, he would like nothing more than to accept the young man as his student, and train a new master of Kassatsu Itto Ryu. He was already over 35, and while Genbu no Okina was still going strong at 115, being the guardian of a turtle god was not the same as being the guardian of Seiryuu the dragon. On the other hand, he didn't want to steal Moriya away. Nodding, he came to a decision. "I can't just accept you as a student out of the blue, you know. Come, let's go back to your home. If your parents and Yamaga-sensei agree to apprentice you to me, then I will take you as my student. Otherwise, come seek me out when you are an adult, and we will see." Realizing that he would not get a better offer, Moriya reluctantly agreed, and the two began the trip back to Minakata village.

They arrived back at Moriya's home shortly after dusk. Moriya was quickly spirited away by his cousin Saemon, and Gaisei was brought into a sitting room to meet with Moriya's uncle, an imposing man about the same age as Gaisei. The two men sat across a small table and spent several moments studying each other. Finally, Minakata Satoshi spoke first. "First, I must apologize for Moriya's rudeness." Gaisei shook his head. "It's alright. The boy is enthusiastic about his swordsmanship, it's hard to fault him for that." Satoshi nodded. "Yes. Moriya's one talent and passion is the sword. He's a very quiet, reclusive child, otherwise." Sipping from a cup of tea a servant had brought in, Satoshi nodded again. "Moriya's father was my younger brother, Akira. He, too, was an excellent swordsman. Ultimately, though, he was too poor, and he and his wife died of cholera when Moriya was five. My wife and I have raised him since then as if he were our own son, and we have always tried to provide the best for him."

Turning away, Satoshi regarded a painting of a pastoral scene mounted on a wall. "Still, he is not my own son, and his status is diminished because of that. I would like more for Moriya than for him to go to Edo or Kyoto some day and become a member of some daimyo's personal guard, which is what he seems to be destined for today. However, the life of a wandering swordsman does not seem to be a better alternative." Gaisei nodded, and finally spoke. "Moriya's talent for the sword is amazing. To think he is only nine years old… his potential is almost endless. I do not wish to insult Yamaga-sensei or yourself, but I am confident that in the entire world, there is only one man who is my match with a blade – a man named Kagami Orinosuke. His son is also an excellent swordsman, but he is still young, and he has not come into his true power yet." Gaisei turned to look at the painting as well. "Kassatsu Itto Ryu has many secrets that go beyond mere sword technique, and the true inheritor of the style will learn all of them. I promise that if Moriya becomes my student, I will make him a true master of the style."

Satoshi nodded. "Still, I am reluctant to let the boy go. I know that if I keep him here, he will only become angry and bored, and resentful that we have held him back. However, I hope that you can appreciate that this is a difficult decision." Turning, Satoshi finished his cup of tea. "Also, I have no desire to insult Yamaga-sensei. Even if he is incapable of bringing Moriya to his full potential, he is still an excellent swordsman and a good instructor, and he has improved the fighting capability of my men greatly." Nodding, Satoshi arrived at a decision. "I am sorry, but I do not think I can allow Moriya to go with you at this time. Perhaps in several years…. However, if you are interested, I would be happy to hire you as a sword instructor. You could stay here and teach Moriya." Gaisei shook his head. "Unfortunately, I am not able to settle down. I make a pilgrimage to Mt. Fuji every five years, and I sell my services to certain causes across Japan. I thank you for your kind offer, but I will respectfully have to decline." Satoshi clapped Gaisei on the shoulder. "I understand. Still, you are welcome here any time, and I hope you will spend the night. Good luck with your travels, Gaisei-san, and keep my offer in mind."

Their discussion concluded, Satoshi left to inform Moriya of his decision. Brooding, Gaisei decided to head to the teahouse he and Benosuke had been at the previous night, hoping to make a decent night of it before he returned to the road in the morning. As he approached the place, he heard the sounds of a woman screaming and the crashing of breaking plates inside. Rushing in, he drew his sword, worried that bandits or robbers might be attacking the establishment. Instead, he found a drunk Benosuke rampaging inside, smashing plates and generally frightening the staff and the owner. Turning to see Gaisei, an ugly look spread across his face.

"Ganryu! You're back. Well, it seems the historical duel between Musashi and Sasaki might be repeated – Benosuke vs. Ganryu again, eh?" His face hardening, Yamaga continued on in an angry voice. "Bastard. I drink with you, introduce you to my employers, offer you a place to stay for the night, and what thanks do I get? You try to steal my student, and then you try to steal my job! Hmph, serves me right for trusting a scruffy traveler anyway." Repressing his anger, Gaisei shook his head. "I had no intention of doing any of that, Yamaga." At this denial, Yamaga became even angrier. "Don't lie to me, Gaisei! You bastard, you'll pay for this!" Bursting forward into a charge, Yamaga jumped over a small table and slashed at Gaisei's wrists in a diagonal cut. Gaisei parried the blow with his no-dachi, and snapped out in a pair of quick horizontal slashes trying to cut but not severly wound Yamaga. Even drunk, however, Yamaga's reactions were still good, and he quickly stepped back, deflecting both slashes. On the second parry, Yamaga turned with the force of the blow, moving to Gaisei's side and attacking. "Got you!"

Gaisei shook his head, and his form seemed to blur as he moved back to nearly the other side of the room in the blink of an eye. Pulling the sheath off of his back, he held it in his left hand as he sheathed his sword. Keeping it in a ready posture, he looked Yamaga in the eye as he settled into a battoujutsu stance. "Don't do this, Yamaga. I like you, I don't want to have to kill you." This proclamation only infuriated Yamaga further, and the master of Ono-ha Itto Ryu again charged forward, sword low, ready to bring it up in an upward slash designed to gut Gaisei. "Die!" he screamed, angling for the killing blow. Shaking his head sadly, Gaisei waited until the man was a about six feet away, and then leaned forward and drew his sword, using the curve of the sheathe to add speed and force, extending his arm fully, turning the draw into an incredibly forward slash at chest level with the no-dachi striking at full range. Yamaga didn't even have time to scream as the sharp sword bit into his neck, decapitating him in a fountain of spraying blood.

The two waitresses huddled in the corner fainted, and the proprietress's face turned an ashen white as she fell to her knees. Gaisei flicked the blood off his blade. Wiping it clean on Yamaga's clothes, he slowly sheathed his massive sword and slung it on his back again. Looing up at the proprietress, he smiled sadly. "He was trying to kill me. You saw and heard him… I didn't have much choice." Realizing that Gaisei was not going to kill her, she let out a deep breath and nodded. "Yes." Gaisei looked at Yamaga's body, and shook his head again. Now what was he going to tell Minakata Satoshi? Looking at the proprietress, he came to a decision. "I'll stay here with the body. You should go get Minakata-san." Grateful for an opportunity to get away from the bloodbath that her teahouse had become, she scrambled to her feet and rushed out the door.

Sitting down, Gaisei bitterly poured himself a cup of sake from one of the bottles Yamaga hadn't smashed and sipped at it. When Minakata Satoshi arrived shortly after, Gaisei stood up and quickly bowed. "Minakata-san." Satoshi looked at the scene and shook his head. "I knew Yamaga had a poor temper when he drank, but I never anticipated something like this would happen." Sighing, he shook his head. "It is a good thing that he was merely a hired ronin and not a formal retainer of the clan – if the latter had been true, the situation would be much more complex." Sitting down, he buried his face in his hands and breathed deeply. "Gaisei, it would be best if you left as soon as possible. I realize the situation is not your fault, but it would be best if you were not here in the morning." Gaisei nodded. At that moment, Moriya burst into the teahouse, his face flushed from the exertion of running there from home. Looking at Yamaga's dead body, he looked at Gaisei and shook his head. "Moriya! What are you doing here!" exclaimed Satoshi in angry surprise.

Moriya turned to his uncle, took a deep breath, and kneeled. "Uncle, please, let me go with Gaisei-san." Satoshi's face darkened, and he angrily shook his head. "This decision has already been made. You are a son of a samurai, the road is not the place for you!" Moriya shook his head and spoke with a rare burst of passion. "Is a samurai's soul not his sword? Now that Yamaga-sensei is dead, there is nothing left for me here. I appreciate the care you have shown me for the past four and a half years, but you and I both know that I have no future here. I have nothing except the blade, and I will do anything to attain perfection with it. Please, let me go with Gaisei-san." Satoshi stood up, agitated and angry. Seeing his condition, Gaisei spoke. "Satoshi-san, let the boy come. He's right, you know. Without a teacher, he'll just grow unhappy here, and it would be a crime to waste his potential like that." Shaking his head angrily, Satoshi slammed his fist into the wall. Turning to Moriya, he nodded. "Very well, then, if you want to disgrace yourself by becoming a wanderer, then go. You are not in the line of succession to the leadership of the clan, so it is no great loss." Laughing bitterly, the head of the Minakata clan walked out of the teahouse. "Go, Moriya. Find the perfection of the sword that you want. I hope you will be happy."

Moriya stood there, at a loss to what had just happened. Perhaps his uncle cared for him out of more than just duty. Even so… he put all other thoughts out of his hand and turned to Gaisei. Kneeling, he bowed to his new master. "Master… thank you." Patting the boy on the head, Gaisei nodded. "Get your things. We leave immediately." Moriya nodded, and ran off to collect his few belongings, and the swords that had been his father's. Returning shortly after, back on his back and daisho thrust through his belt, he nodded to Gaisei, indicating he was ready to begin. Gaisei looked at the boy with approval, but the daisho caught his eye. "The first tenet of Kassatsu Itto Ryu is the use of a single sword. Leave your wakizashi behind – you will not be using it again." Moriya frowned. "But these swords are all I have left of my parents." Gaisei shook his head. "Even more reason to leave the wakizashi behind. You must strengthen yourself in both body and spirit. Leave the shoto behind, as a mark of the transition from Minakata Moriya, member of the Minakata clan, samurai of the Ono-ha Itto Ryu, to Minakata Moriya, wandering swordsman of Kassatsu Itto Ryu. You are not a samurai any more, boy. You are now merely a swordsman, like me." Nodding his acceptance, Moriya removed the shorter blade from his belt, and gently placed it on a table. "The proprietress will bring this back to my uncle. Shall we go, then, master?"

September 23rd, 1854 – A Village Near Kyoto

"Moriya! Are you listening?" shouted Gaisei. Moriya started out of his musings of the past, and nodded. Walking forward, he touseled Kaede's hair and sat down to enjoy the western style cake that Gaisei had purchased in Kyoto for this event. A lot had happened in the past three and a half years. Gaisei had shown him the techniques of Kassatsu Itto Ryu, and he had soaked them up like a sponge does water. Merging some of the fundamentals of what he had learned from the Ono-ha Ryu with Gaisei's teaching, his skill had grown in leaps and bounds. As he traveled freely across the countryside with Gaisei, he had also grown to understand more of life itself. While still a quiet and reserved boy who was poor with words and spoke only rarely, he loved his little family dearly. Gaisei had shown him a degree of caring that he had never quite received from his uncle and aunt – while they did love him, in their own way, he was still their nephew. Gaisei planned to make Moriya his successor, and had accepted him as his own son.

Then, the day they had found Yuki and Kaede on the streets of Kyoto a year ago also stood out in his mind. The two of them had heard a piercing scream from an alley, and when they rushed into investigate they had found 8 year old Yuki holding a makeshift spear, defending her and 7 year old Kaede from a yakuza gangster looking for children for a brothel. Moriya had made quick work of the yakuza – his first kill. He still remembered the way the man's blood spilled across the snow, but it no longer disturbed him. The two children had no family of their own, they had been orphans who had found each other on the street and become friends for their own protection. Seeing potential in the spunky girl and her strong willed friend, Gaisei had adopted the two of them. In the past few months, he had begun training Kaede in the sword and Yuki in the naginata, and both had shown a great deal of natural talent for the weapons. Indeed, Moriya saw a lot of himself in Kaede – with the right training, one day Kaede might even be a match for him. For now, he looked fondly at his little family and enjoyed his cake, and thought about refinements to his techniques he could try on Gaisei tomorrow.

Author's notes:

If you thought there were some similarities between Moriya's past and that of Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin, then you aren't mistaken. The character of Moriya borrows from both Kenshin and his master, Hiko Seijuro, so references to his parents dying of Cholera were deliberate.

Ono-ha Itto-ryu is a real kenjutsu style still practiced today. In the 1850's, it was taught by two families, one of which was the Yamaga clan. Kirotoshi is really a fundamental technique of the school, although it's far more complex than I'm really able to comprehend.

If you were confused by Yamaga's referring to Gaisei as Ganryu, then you should read up on the life of Miyamoto Musashi, possibly the greatest swordsman to have ever lived. Musashi was also known as Benosuke, which is where I got Yamaga's first name. Gaisei's carrying a large no-dachi is a reference to Sasaki Kojiroh, Musashi's greatest rival, who also carried a very long straight no-dachi he called the darning pole. Sasaki's nickname was Ganryu.


End file.
